The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Meridian (Miss.)

MERIDIAN, Miss., city, county-seat of Lauderdale County, on Alabama and Vicksburg, Alabama Great Southern, Meridian and Memphis, Mobile and Ohio, New Orleans and Northeastern and Southern railroads. It is the largest city in Mississippi in population, manufactures and commerce, surrounded by fertile farm land of which cotton and vegetables are the chief agricultural products. Among numerous industrial establishments are lumber mills, fertilizer factories, cotton-seed-oil mills, cotton mills, cotton compresses and railroad shops. The annual wholesale trade is $20,000,000; the average annual bank clearings approximate $17,000,000. Meridian is the seat of the East Mississippi Female College (M. E.), founded in 1867 and opened in 1869, the Lincoln School (Congregational), the Meridian Academy (Methodist Episcopal South), both for colored students, a Catholic high school and Saint Aloysius Academy for Girls. Among prominent features are the municipal building, county courthouse, public library, Scottish Rite Cathedral, Stonewall Club, handsome churches and fine business and banking buildings. The Mississippi-Alabama Fair, held annually at Meridian, is the second largest agricultural and stock exhibition in the South in number of exhibits and attendance. Since 1912 the commission form of government is in operation; the city owns the waterworks and has a modern equipped and salaried fire department. Electric car service, electric and gas lighting are furnished by a company with a plant of sufficient capacity for a city of 100,000 inhabitants. During the Civil War, Meridian was devastated by General Sherman, 14-20 Feb. 1864, and in March 1906 a large portion of the city was destroyed by a tornado. Pop. 30,000.